Canadians underexposed to sunlight

    Vitamin D deficiency becoming hidden epidemic

    TORONTO, April 25 /CNW/ - As Canadians brace for the much awaited warm
summer months there is something else that our bodies crave - sunlight.
Alarmingly however, Canadian public health messaging has resulted in the
demonization of sunlight. The amount of fear this dogma has created is
potentially damaging to the health of Canadians.
    Recent vitamin D research has shown that 97 percent of Canadians and a
majority of Americans are vitamin D deficient today. And, the facts are clear.
Humans get 90 percent of their vitamin D naturally from sunlight. To say that
your skin should not be exposed to UV light is to say that your body should
suffer vitamin D deficiency - the most severe result of sun-avoiding behavior.
    "The professional indoor tanning community is the voice of reason on this
issue: sunburn prevention - not sun avoidance - is what we need to be
teaching. Moderate UV exposure increases vitamin D production."
    The important distinction: No research has isolated tanning in a
non-burning fashion as a significant risk factor for any form of skin cancer.
In fact, tanning is a natural and biologically intended body function.
    Indoor tanners have 90 per cent higher vitamin D levels compared with
non-tanners. A single indoor tanning session can make 10,000-20,000 IU of
vitamin D naturally, which stores quite nicely in your system.
    "The public has been hearing from lifestyle media for years how bad the
sun is for you. Unfortunately the message is heavily influenced by large
amounts of advertising dollars. Just have a look at web sites like
www.sunsafetyalliance.com and www.skincancer.org and you can see who the
funders behind the message are. The unfortunate part of all this is that an
unintended consequence occurs, that being vitamin D deficiency," Gilroy said.

    The Joint Canadian Tanning Association (JCTA) is a national non-profit
organization created to increase understanding of the professional tanning
industry's scientifically supported position that regular moderate
ultra-violet exposure from sunshine or sunbed in a non-burning fashion is part
of a responsible lifestyle that recognizes both the inherent benefits and the
manageable risks associated with ultraviolet light exposure.

For further information: Steve Gilroy, ATP, Executive Director JCTA, T:
(800) 915-0367, C: (250) 863-8765, E: info@TanCanada.org